TGUH Monthly Recap - July 2020

To quote Adele:  Hello, it's me.

I thought I'd give monthly recap blogging a try.

I know I've been MIA.  Life can become complicated and when I stopped blogging (a hobby, not an income-producing endeavor) I realized how much time I was devoting to something that sometimes just wasn't fun.  Thank you to everyone who has reached out to say hello and check in.  I truly do appreciate it and it reminds me of the old days when blogging felt more like a community instead of a competition.

If you're on Instagram, I am fairly active over there.  I'm easy to find - thegreatumbrellaheist.



So here's what July looked like for us:

The New Normal

Some restrictions in Massachusetts were lifted and the girls were able to return to dance at the studio for their summer competition class, which ran once a week for four weeks. There are many, many changes at the studio though.  Kids are pretty adaptable and they quickly adjusted to what has become the new normal.

Class size is limited, they have to wear masks (yes, you can take a breathing break if necessary), no dance bags allowed, everything needs to be labeled, hand sanitizer, hand washing, no parents congregating in the lobby, really no parents in the lobby.  No complaints - we all understand the necessity of the new rules.

Cape Cod

We've been spending quite a bit of time at our cottage on Cape Cod.  Rich and I took those last cooler/rainy weekends in May and June to tackle painting projects.  There's still a lot to do but we've been focusing on enjoying beach time for now.  July was an extremely hot and humid month for us.  I believe Boston recorded nine days with temps over 90 degrees for the month.



This bedroom is covered in wood paneling.  We painted the whole room, which takes three coats of primer and two coats of paint.  I also painted a bunch of furniture.



I'll have to do a before and after post some day, but these beds look soooo much better painted a modern color.

Back in April and May, everyone thought the summer season was going to be a bust.  Short-term rentals were not allowed (hotels, houses, condos) and it really was concerning for those who make the majority of their income during the summer.  Thankfully, that situation has completely turned around.  Rentals are booked solid, hotel rooms are going for $$$ and the real estate market is booming.


Coast Guard Beach





Of course this means beaches have been more crowded than I would prefer.  The heat waves have played a role in that as well.  We've figured out where/when to go in order to avoid people.  Towns have reduced beach parking lot capacity in order to combat the number of people on the beach but there are always ways around that.  You can walk, get dropped off, take an uber.






Yummy lobster roll from Sesuit Harbor Cafe.

Because we canceled our June vacation to Florida, we spent most of the end of June at the cottage.  July was mostly long weekends as life began picking up again.  Rich is working about 50% at home.  I've been trying to help out my parents as much as possible.  My dad was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia last fall and he requires 24 hour care.  My mom had aides coming in helping prior to the lockdown in March, but it just wasn't safe for them to assist so she had to stop that.  I had grand plans of going over and helping her but that first week of shutdowns was a bit of a mess with sickness in our home and I didn't want to spread anything to anyone. But we're in a different place now and I can go over and assist (while wearing a mask, just in case.)


I love beach roses.


And so many pretty hydrangeas.

















Books I Read

I just finished reading book number 49 of 2020 this afternoon.  Lots of reading going on in 2020.  Here's a rundown of what I read in July:

The One by John Marrs - What if you could be matched with a perfect partner through a simple DNA test?  This fiction novel follows five different people who've been matched and what happens to their lives when they decide to contact their matched mates.  I thought the idea here was unique and while the book was a quick read, it was also very predictable.  I'd definitely throw this one in the beach read category.  

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid - I HIGHLY recommend this one.  After I finished reading it, I was describing it to Rich and the girls, and they were all like, "Wow, there's a lot going on there."  Which is why I cannot understand the reviewers who say they wish this could have had more to it. Perhaps those readers missed the underlying themes.  I'm not going to go into the details because I could seriously write an entire post on this book but the author hits upon racism and social class from many different angles.  Read it!

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong - This is fiction but it reads like a memoir.  It's written by a poet, very beautiful but haunting.  The book reads as a letter written from a son to his mother.  The underlying themes of race, social class, masculinity and sexuality are all present and leave the reader thinking.  While I really liked this one, there were some graphic sex scenes.  I can understand why and how they tie into the book but reader beware.    
  
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides - I'm a little late to the party here but I thought this was a decent beach read.  If you like trendy suspense novels and you haven't read this one, check it out.

Coming up in August

Well, hopefully we find out exactly what's going to happen with school.  Those decisions need to be finalized, approved and communicated to students and parents, so we're in a holding pattern right now.  We plan to spend much more time down on the Cape.  There's still a lot of summer left here.





Thanks for reading!